


Falling

by stydiaxdestiel



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Beacon Hills, Demonic Possession, Demons, F/M, Hurt Kira Yukimura, Hurt Lydia, Hurt Lydia Martin, Hurt Scott, Hurt Scott McCall, Hurt Stiles, Hurt Stiles Stilinski, Original Character(s), Possessed, Possession, Sciles, Stydia, hurt kira, mental health, scira - Freeform, stydia martinski
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-13
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-14 20:54:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7189808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stydiaxdestiel/pseuds/stydiaxdestiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>sequel to 'the void'</p><p>Life has pretty much gone back to normal for the pack of beacon hills. nothing terrible has happened for a while, and no one has died a bloody or terrible death in over three months.<br/>for Scotts pack life has improved dramatically.<br/>Stiles has been clean for 92 days.<br/>92 long but good days.<br/>His relationship with Lydia has been growing steadily and is blossoming in time with the flowers of Spring. </p><p>unfortunately good things don't seem to last in beacon hills. </p><p>Evil yet again arrives in beacon hills, hiding behind human personas in order to create a rift in the pack and cause destruction amongst the residents of beacon hills.</p><p>stiles has to face one of the hardest decisions he will ever make, and he might not forgive himself for the outcome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I am okay.

Stiles grabbed his backpack from the seat of his jeep, and climbed out, slamming the door behind him. he absent-mindedly scratched his arm, looking around the parking lot for his friends. inhaling deeply, he pondered over the smell surrounding the high school. beacon hills always had the same fresh rainy smell to it, although the today there was something different but stiles couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. glancing down at his bare arm, he realised that he'd scratched it red raw, almost to the point of bleeding.

why the hell did I do that?

stiles opened his jeeps doors again, and grabbed his flannel shirt from the passenger seat.

Jesus, if I hadn't have scratched my arm I wouldn't have realised I didn't have my shirt...everyone would have seen them.

shuddering at the thought, stiles began to take deep breaths, in for three, out for three, until his nerves had stopped tingling. he opened his eyes, and glanced around the now busy car park.

how long was I stood there breathing?

out of the corner of his eye, he saw Scott, stood over by the main entrance to the high school. stiles bounded across the parking lot and slapped Scott on the back as he reached him, making Scott spin around with a huge smile plastered across his tan face.

'stiles! bro I feel like I've not seen you in a month.'

'Scott I was only away for three days. anything interesting happen while I was gone?'

'not really. Kira's sick, she thinks it's the flu. my mom misses you, she told me to tell you that if you don't go see her soon then she'll kill you.'

'Scott, sometimes I think your mother is in love with me.'

'stiles, I think you're delusional.'

'stiles is always delusional.'

stiles spun around to see his girlfriend stood directly behind him, smirking cheekily and twiddling a strand of strawberry blonde hair between her thumb and forefinger.

'Lydia!'

he raced forward and pulled her into a hug, before planting a big wet kiss on her forehead.

'someone's in a good mood today.'

'well what can I say? I missed you guys. you look beautiful.'

'thankyou stiles. I missed you.'

'come on, we're going to be late and Harris will kill us. with fire.'

Scott headed off towards the school entrance first, his steps fast and lively. stiles and Lydia were following close behind, but they were walking slightly slower as their hands were held tightly together, and their elbows and knees were brushing gently.

stiles looked to his side as he walked, completely in awe of the wonderful girl next to him. he drank in her appearance, from the top of her strawberry blonde head down to the tip of her brown suede boots.

how on earth did I manage this?

stiles smiled to himself lightly, before walking into Mr Harris' class and taking his seat behind Scott. stiles watched his girlfriend as she gracefully sat down in her seat to the right of him, and pulled out her science book.

it was lucky they were all in the same science class this year. Lydia was obviously miles ahead of stiles, Scott, and kira, but somehow they had ended up together. it could have something to do with Lydia's mom and Kira's dad being a members of staff, but stiles chose to believe it was because himself, Scott, and kira had finally caught up to Lydia's immense levels of intelligence.  
stiles was pulled from his internal monologue by the sharp voice of Mr Harris, their science teacher for that semester.

'good morning class! I expect you're all refreshed and energised? no? okay first of all, a small notification for you all from the sheriffs department.'

stiles looked up in confusion. his dad hadn't said anything about a notification before he left the house this morning, so something must have happened quite recently.

like, really recently.

'we've been informed that we must warn all students about dangerous people in beacon hills. people you don't want to associate yourself with, or even be around. these people can and will hurt you, don't think for a second they won't. the sheriffs department need you to stay away from dark alleys, and isolated places. try not to go anywhere alone, and please don't go out after dark. If you must go out, stay in groups, and always make sure someone has a cellphone.'

Scott had turned around to face stiles, his jaw hanging open slightly in shock, and Lydia had leaned in closer to stiles' desk.

'do you think it's anything supernatural?'

'I don't know. ask your dad later stiles, then call me.'

'It's probably not anything guys, I can't feel anything.'

stiles looked at Lydia's blank expression, and nodded at her. Lydia would tell them if she felt anything weird. stiles watched Scott as he turned around again, then glanced up to the front as Mr Harris coughed to catch the students attention.

the lesson carried on as it normally would, scientific equations drawn out on the board and students scribbling frantically, but stiles' mind was elsewhere.

who was causing danger?  
what did they want?

towards the end of the lesson, stiles found himself drawn to staring at the corner of the parking lot from out of the window.

his head was rested on his hands, and the heat in the classroom was making him sleepy. just as he was about to nod off, he saw a tall, dark haired man in a black leather jacket walk halfway across the parking lot, then turn swiftly around and walk back in the direction he came.

'stilinski! If you want to pass this class then pay attention!'

stiles jumped out of his skin, before turning bright red in embarrassment and facing Mr Harris sheepishly. he didn't even have time to think of a witty reply, his brain was juddering into action.

who the hell was that guy?

the rest of the lesson passed easily enough, and stiles found he was even able to focus on what Mr Harris was talking about, despite not understanding the majority of what he actually said.

when the bell rang to signal the end of class, stiles, Scott, and Lydia gathered their things and left the room quickly, Scott and Lydia seemingly having forgotten about the earlier announcement.

as they trudged down the hallway towards second period, stiles lagged behind Scott and Lydia for a couple of seconds. he made eye contact with a short, blonde haired girl, who smiled warmly at him before turning to face her locker. stiles noticed that she had very dark blue, almost purple eyes.

I've never seen her before. she must be new. maybe she's a senior?

stiles caught up to Scott and Lydia, and for the rest of the day nothing worrying or noticeably strange happened.

but that night, when stiles was curled up in bed, all he could think about was the principals announcement from that morning.

who the hell was causing trouble in beacon hills?

stiles' dad had been completely clueless, and had simply told stiles that it was nothing supernatural, and then to keep out of his business.

dad did seem quite uncertain earlier though. it could be supernatural...I should investigate. me and Scott can go check out some areas in beacon hills tomorrow night, and see if there's anything suspicious happening.

not long after, stiles was snoring softly, and dreaming about walking hand in hand on a beach somewhere warm, with Lydia.

the truth was, stiles didn't care where he was, so long as he was with Lydia. he genuinely loved her with all his heart, and he knew he always would.


	2. Descent

stiles woke up late the next morning, his face dripping in sweat with his bedsheets tangled around his limbs. he rolled out of bed and straight onto the floor, banging his head on his desk in the process. groaning loudly and pulling himself up, he ran a hand through his hair and began to search around the room for clean clothes. after settling on a dark blue top, red flannel shirt and black jeans, he raced downstairs and grabbed his backpack.

fifteen minutes later and stiles was pulling up outside of the high school, chewing on a cereal bar absent-mindedly. he locked up his jeep and began to walk across the parking lot, when he noticed a movement in the woods near the schools bus lot. stiles quickly walked over to the edge of the woods, and stood silently staring into the darkness. whatever he had seen had disappeared by now, so he turned around and walked back towards the school.

must've been an animal or something.

stiles tried to push any niggling thoughts out of his brain as he entered the school and walked along the corridors towards first period. just before he got to the classroom, the short blonde haired girl darted out the room and skidded straight past him.

'hey! are you okay?'

the girl spun around to face stiles, her long blonde hair flapping around her face messily. she had black stains running down her cheeks, and her eye makeup was smudged wildly around her eye sockets, making her eyes seem an even more vivid shade of bluey-purple.

it was her facial expression that worried stiles the most though. she looked positively terrified, her eyes were wide and unblinking and her mouth was hanging open slightly. she completely ignored stiles question, stared at him for a few more seconds, and then raced off down the corridor.

stiles just stared at her as she ran away, listening to the sounds of her sobbing echoing down the long corridors of beacon hills high school.

'stiles?'

stiles spun around to see his girlfriend stood behind him, a perplexed look pasted on her face.

'lyds...who is that? why did she just run out of English crying?'

'She's called Lyra. She forgot her bag...Will was being horrid to her, kept pestering her about stuff. I don't know what he was saying but she burst into tears, and then just ran out of the classroom.'

'oh. Will's a dick. are you alright?'

'yeah, I'm fine. are you okay? I saw you, when I was looking out the window. why were you staring at the forest?'

'oh. I thought I heard something. probably just an animal, but I was just double checking. I'm fine though.'

'good. I'm going to go see if I can find Lyra, and give her this back.'

Lydia held up a tatty black backpack, and started walking down the corridor, touching stiles' hand gently as she walked past. stiles watched her walk for a couple of seconds, before going into the English lesson himself.

'stiles! I see you've decided to make an appearance.'

'uh, yeah. sorry Mrs Wood.'

'take your usual seat stiles. we're reading 'to kill a mockingbird. page 37.'

stiles took his seat, before glancing across the classroom to Scott and kira. unfortunately Mrs Wood had insisted on a seating plan that year, so the group had been separated in this particular lesson. luckily, Scott and kira got to sit near each other, but stiles and Lydia were on opposite ends of the other side of the classroom.

stiles opened his book just as Lydia appeared in the doorway of the classroom, still clutching Lyra's backpack in her hands. he watched her sit down and shove the backpack under her desk, quickly opening her book and staring down at the page in front of her.

halfway through the lesson, stiles found his eyes drifting towards the window again. the heat in the classroom was stifling, and stiles could feel small beads of sweat running down his neck and forehead. he fidgeted in his seat, clenching his hands into fists and tapping his feet impatiently on the floor.

when is this lesson going to end?

stiles looked out of the window mindlessly, his eyes roaming over the parking lot and forest lazily. he stared at the students skipping class, who thought they were hidden in-between the school buses. he strained his eyes as far as possible, willing himself to see the main road and what went on outside of the small circle of beacon hills high school. stiles' eyes drifted back to the parking lot, detecting a movement near the edge of the forest. he stared blankly out the window until his eyes focused, then gave the outside scene his full attention.

Lyra was standing next to the dark haired man stiles had seen the day before. they were stood on the verge of the forest, caped slightly in darkness, but still near enough for stiles to recognise. Lyra was only short, maybe about 5'5, and the guy stood next to her was huge. he must've been at least 6'4, if not taller. stiles gulped involuntarily, and carried on watching the two.

they were too far away for him to be able to read their lips, but stiles could see they were talking comfortably, because they both had relaxed and at-ease posture. a couple of minutes later the guy handed Lyra something, and walked into the forest, and stiles swore he actually disappeared.

trick of the light. it's a trick of the light. nothing more.

stiles dragged his eyes away from the girl outside and looked towards Lydia, trying to make eye contact with her. he tried to text her, but his phone ran out of battery in his hands.

I always charge my phone...

stiles tried turning it back on, but it was no use, the phone was completely drained. for the next couple of minutes, stiles tried to get Lydia's attention the old fashioned way, but stopped when he realised that he'd been getting a few puzzled looks from other students. they had been watching him jerking his limbs and making clicking noises in an attempt to contact Lydia for the past two minutes, and stiles got the feeling they thought it was funnier to let him make a fool out of himself than to help him grab Lydia's attention.

the lights in the classroom flickered a couple of times, and stiles thought he heard the sound of a gunshot from far away.

no one else even noticed. why didn't anyone notice?

stiles looked over at Scott, then kira, then Lydia. all three of them were staring at stiles.

'you heard that too?' stiles mouthed across the classroom towards Scott.   
Scott nodded, and then tilted his head towards Lydia and kira.

'they did too.' Scott mouthed back at stiles.

'stiles! Scott! can you two please stop talking, unless you want to share whatever it is you're whispering with the class.'

stiles grimaced at Scott, before turning back towards the front of the room. everything in the room seemed incredibly loud in his ears, making them throb and ache. stiles could hear the ticking of the clock, and the beating of his heart. he could hear students fidgeting around him, tapping their pens on their desks and bouncing their feet on the floor.

he swore he heard another gunshot, and his head spun wildly around to face Scott, but he was staring straight ahead. stiles slowly looked around the classroom, anxiety and fear pulsing through his veins. every single student in the room was staring to the front of the classroom, unmoving. stiles jerked his head forward. Mrs Wood was sat on the edge of her desk, frozen like a statue. the clock wasn't ticking anymore, stiles couldn't even hear anyone breathing.

he tried to exhale, but the air was caught in his throat. stiles could feel his face burning with effort, and his hands clenched the side of his desk.

It's too silent. I can't breathe. It's too silent. I can't breathe. It's too silent. I can't breathe.

stiles head began to pound, fear convulsing through his body. he tried to stand up, but his legs were shaking too wildly and couldn't support his weight. he stared down at his hands and watched as they shook, still trying to breathe.

I'm going to die. I'm going to suffocate. I'm going to die. I'm going to suffocate.

warm tears spilled down stiles' cheeks, and his lips began to tremble.

help me. HELP ME. SCOTT! LYDIA! KIRA! HELP ME!

the lights in the classroom were too bright, so stiles closed his eyes tightly, but no matter how hard he squeezed them shut nothing could lessen the intensity of the lights.

stiles lungs finally gave up on him, and he pitched forward onto his desk, his whole body spasming and his lungs burning. he felt the cold plastic underneath him heat up to the point of burning, sending a searing pain through his chest.

I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying.

stiles tried to breathe in, but his throat was swelled shut. hot tears slipped into his dry mouth, and his brain ached unbearably. darkness suddenly overwhelmed him, and all the heat left his body. stiles lost control over his facial muscles, and his mouth hung open.

I'm coming mom.


	3. Tumble

can't breathe. can't breathe. can't breathe.

it's too dark. it's too dark. it's too dark.

help me. help me. HELP ME!

please.

stiles opened his eyes, hot white light burning them straight away. his whole body ached, and his chest felt tight and uncomfortable. stiles tried to lift his arms, but they were too heavy. he felt something stuck to his hand, and slowly tilted his head to see what it was. he tentatively opened his eyes halfway, squinting to avoid the bright lights.

am I in heaven?   
am I in hell?

stiles' eyes focused on his hand. a small tube was attached to his hand, held in place by a piece of tape. his was tucked into a bed, a white sheet smoothed neatly on top of him.

where am I?

he looked around slowly, trying to place any recognition of where he was.

tiled floor.   
white sheets.   
window.   
white curtains.  
Lydia.   
chair.   
vase.  
Lydia?  
LYDIA.

stiles looked across at Lydia, seated on a chair next to his bed, asleep.

I'm in the hospital.   
why am I in the hospital?

'Lydia?'

stiles' voice came out as no more than a croak, but Lydia's eyes opened straight away and she propelled herself on to her knees at the side of stiles' bed. she grabbed hold of his free hand and started to stroke his hair.

'stiles? how do you feel?'

'what happened?'

'we don't know. we were in English, and you just started sweating like crazy. you weren't responding to anything. you stopped breathing, so someone called an ambulance. then you passed out on your desk, and had some kind of fit. the doctors don't know what caused it, neither do we. I thought you were going to die stiles...what happened?'

'you were all frozen. and then I couldn't breathe. and everything was awful and I couldn't do anything and I was dying! I thought I was dying.'

'oh stiles...'

stiles leaned into Lydia's touch, closing his eyes and breathing properly for the first time in what felt like forever.

why did this happen?

'I'm gonna text Scott...him and kira have been here all night. they're in the cafeteria.'

'how long have I been here?'

'just over a day. I was so scared you weren't going to wake up.'

stiles didn't answer Lydia then, he just shut his eyes and appreciated the normality of the room. everything was as it should be in here, there was no danger.

I'm not going to die. I'm alive. Lydia is alive. Scott is alive. kira is alive. my dad is...

'Lydia? is my dad okay?'

'he's fine stiles. he was here...he had to leave about half an hour ago. he got called into work. someone's been killed...'

stiles shot up in the bed, almost ripping his IV line out. he stared straight at Lydia, his mouth gaping open.

'who? when? how? what happened?'

'we can talk about it later. you need to rest. kira and Scott are coming up with Melissa now.'

stiles nodded slowly and closed his eyes again, clenching his hands to feel the coolness of the sheets under them. Lydia was still stroking her hand through his hair, and along with the ticking of the clock and the hum of the hospital machinery, stiles drifted off to sleep.

stiiiileeees. stiiiiileeees. stiiiiileeeees.

'stiles?'

stiles jumped out of his skin, his hands shaking and his breath rugged. he felt warm hands grab onto his cold, clammy ones, and he opened his eyes to see Lydia looking at him.

'what was that?'

'nothing. just a bad dream.'

'stiles? hey...how're you feeling?'

'hey Scott, kira. I'm fine, I'm fine...'

'are you sure? because you completely passed out in English and the doctors don't know why and that doesn't seem like fine.'

'kira, I'm fine. it was probably just stress.'

'it's never 'just' something round here though, is it? are you sure you're okay?'

stiles looked towards kira, who's eyes were swelling with tears. Scott was clutching Kira's hands, his knuckles turned white. Lydia was sat on the edge of stiles bed, one hand holding his and the other on his arm. she had tear tracks down her cheeks.

'I'm fine. honestly...I don't know what it was, but I feel fine. the nogitsune isn't back.'

stiles felt Lydia twitch slightly when he mentioned the nogitsune, and he saw Scott blink a couple of times and clench his jaw. they were remembering Allison...

'stiles, we know you'll be alright. we believe you. but please just make sure you tell us if you're not okay.'

'I promise. lyds...that girl, from English. what was her name, Lyra? did you ever get her bag back to her?'

'oh, yeah. why?'

'I saw her, out the window after she ran out of English. she was talking to this random guy...about six four, dark hair, pale skin. dressed in all black...'

'oh. that's...unusual.'

'stiles, don't worry. me and kira can keep an eye on her after school tomorrow, she where she goes. if she catches us we'll say we were going to lacrosse practise...right kira?'

'of course. my dad might be able to find out where she lives, we could scope it out. or is that weird? it's weird isn't it.'

'no that actually seems like a good idea...just because my dads made the notification about dangerous people and she's new here...we should look out for her.'

'there is something unusual about her. I can smell it on her, something different.'

'me too Scott! not much, but there is something odd about her.'

'why don't we just talk to her? instead of stalking her? we want to protect people, not get any new restraining orders.'

Lydia gave a pointed look to stiles and Scott, clearly referring to the time a couple of years back when Jackson had filed for a restraining order against them. stiles felt himself blush bright red and Scott just grinned at Lydia.

the door to the room opened, and the sheriff walked in, grabbing stiles gently and hugging him.

'yeah, we're gonna go now. I'll call you later stiles.'

'bye Scott, bye kira.'

'I'd better go too stiles, my mom wants me home early for some reason. I'll call you too okay? sheriff, call me if anything happens, please.'

'of course. bye Lydia. thankyou for staying with him.'

'bye lyds.'

Lydia knelt down and kissed stiles on the forehead. he felt her warm lips pressing gently onto his skin, and he closed his eyes. not a second later, the warmth was gone, and stiles opened his eyes again to watch Lydia walk out of the room.

'dad? are you okay?'

'I've had far too many scares with you recently. how do you feel?'

'I'm fine dad. really, I am. has anything happened?'

'a shooting. that's why I couldn't come straight away.'

'that's usually just paperwork though, a quick deal right? why did it take so long?'

'because the person who died got shot 6 times in the head. they weren't even recognisable.'

'what the hell, dad?! do you know who did it?'

'we don't know. stiles, I don't know what I'm dealing with here. I don't know whether it's my kind of thing, or your kind of thing. all I know is that a middle aged Caucasian male was found with six gunshot wounds in his head and no bullets or traces of anything.'

'holy crap...who was the guy? does he have any family?'

'no. he was homeless, according to our records. had a string of offences behind him, including robbery and supplying class A drugs.'

'so he was a bad guy?'

'stiles, our actions don't define whether we're bad or good. but yeah, by the laws definition, he was a bad guy.'

stiles' brain was in overdrive, ticking like clockwork. he was caught in his thoughts when he heard his dad's walkie talkie go off.

'sheriff stilinski we have a code 37 at 119 evergreen drive.'

'37? domestic incident?'

'I know the family, it's happened before. I have to go stiles, we're short handed tonight. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay? I love you son.'

'be safe. I love you too.'

sheriff stilinski patted stiles arm and kissed his forehead, the same place Lydia had kissed not ten minutes earlier. stiles lay back in the warm, clean sheets, watching as his dad responded on the walkie talkie and walked out of the room.

stiles shut his eyes and let sleep wash over him, his body becoming paralysed and numb a few seconds before his mind.

in that few seconds before his mind fell asleep, he swore he heard a girls voice calling him from the door.


	4. Plummet

stiles was sat hunched over his phone in his jeep, trying to get through a difficult level on an online game. his school books and backpack were strewn around the back seats of the car, pens seeming to be stuck in every nook and cranny.

'kira and I tried to follow Lyra home yesterday.'

stiles looked across at Scott, who was sat in the passenger side of the jeep. they were waiting for Lydia and kira to leave the school, and had been for the last half hour.

'oh? where does she live?'

'that's the thing...she didn't actually go home. we tailed her for two hours, but I think she knew because she just wandered around beacon hills.'

'why didn't you just say you were going home from lacrosse practise?'

'because she didn't actually confront us, she was just texting. but I'm sure she knew we were there because she kept looking around her, but never behind. I could smell fear on her, stiles.'

'oh. that's...unusual.'

just as stiles finished his sentence, Lydia and kira appeared at the side of the jeep and clambered in gracelessly.

'you will never guess what's happened.'

stiles and Scott simultaneously turned around to face the girls, Scott with a questionable look on his face and stiles with his mouth hanging open.

'someone found a body on the lacrosse pitch.'

'who was it? who found it?'

'no one knows who it was. my dad said that it was one of his history students that found the body, a boy called Lucas.'

'stiles you need to call your dad, see what they've found out. there was something off about it...'

'of course there was something off about it Lydia, it was a dead body on a lacrosse pitch. I'll call him now.'

stiles spun around to grab his phone from his jacket. searching through the pockets, he sighed and slapped his palm against his forehead.

'I left my phone in my other jacket, which is in my locker. I'll be back in 5, don't go anywhere without me.'

stiles climbed out of the jeep and jogged up the steps into beacon hills high, avoiding the lacrosse pitch like it was the plague. he wasn't going to investigate. he wasn't.

you're going to investigate.

'shut UP!'

stiles ignored the voice in his head and reached his locker, putting in the combination faster than he ever had done before. he grabbed his shirt from his locker and rooted through the pockets, grinning triumphantly when his hand clasped around his phone. he slammed his locker shut and turned around, ready to go check out the lacrosse pitch.

stiles bumped straight into someone behind him, causing whoever it was to squeal loudly.

'oops! oh god, sorry. Lyra? hey, you're Lyra, right?'

Lyra wiped a strand of her long blonde hair from her face, and crossed her arms over her chest.

'yes, I'm Lyra. and you're stiles. and this is a floor, and that's a roof.'

'alright, no need to be so tetchy. are you okay?'

'I need your help.'

'what with? I don't tutor math anymore, that was just to help Scott out.'

'it's not math, stiles. it's something else.'

'what is it then?'

'hey! Lyra! get over here, now. come on! NOW!'

stiles looked to the far end of the corridor, where a boy around his own age was stood. dressed in all black with a silver chain hanging around his neck, there was something distinctly familiar about the boy, but stiles couldn't place it. whatever it was, it didn't mean anything good, because this boy was scary.

'Lucas. just give me a minute, I'm talking to stiles about our...English assignment.'

'no. come here, now. we have to get home. NOW! Lyra!'

stiles watched as the boy called Lucas took a few steps towards them, then looked at Lyra's face. her features were set into a grimace and she was now clenching her hands into fists.

'hey. Lyra...you don't have to go. we can talk if you need to.'

'that's quite alright stiles. it doesn't matter anyway, like I said. I was just going to ask you about English work. I have to go.'

stiles watched as the small girl turned and walked briskly down the corridor, her long hair swaying and shining, the blonde seeming brighter against the black leather of her jacket.

'what English work?' stiles pondered to himself for a few seconds, before punching in his dad's phone number.

'stiles? is that you?'   
'yeah dad, it's me. what happened at school?'   
'I knew that's what you wanted. stiles I can't tell you private police information.'   
'dad, come on. I need to know what's happened.'   
'we'll talk later stiles. I have to go.'   
'fine. bye dad.'

stiles clicked the call off and locked his phone, shoving it into his pocket clumsily and jogging down the halls towards the door.

Lucas...Lucas...where have I seen him before?

stiles ran across the parking lot, all thoughts of the body found on the lacrosse pitch having disappeared. he knew he'd seen Lucas somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place where.

he opened the jeeps doors and jumped in, turning to face kira straight away.

'kira, who did your dad say found the body?'  
'a guy called Lucas. he's a year above us, in my dads senior AP history class.'   
'thought so. I've think just seen him, with Lyra.'  
'are they related or something?'   
'I don't know lyds.'   
'my dad said Lucas is a fairly new student, but really intelligent. like crazy intelligent...dad said he knows so much stuff about history that it would be insane to think he hadn't been there.'   
'what if he has? what if he's a kitsune, they live to be over 900 years old don't they kira? what if he's supernatural?'   
'stiles, he's probably not.'  
'well we don't know that do we Scott. deaton said that after we did the sacrifices at the nemeton that supernatural creatures would be drawn to beacon hills. what if this is it?'   
'I don't know stiles...as much as I love you, you're probably overthinking it.'  
'alright, alright. I'll drop it. who am I taking home first?'

stiles put the jeep into gear and hurtled off the parking lot, going in the general direction of the packs houses. his fingers tapped on the steering wheel aimlessly, and he ignored the awkward silence that had seemed to engulf the car.

I know him from somewhere. I do.


	5. Sink

stiles was in the shower when his phone rang, so he ignored it. about a minute later, it rang again. this time, stiles stepped out of the shower and wrapped himself in a towel, before going to get his phone.

'stiles!'

'Scott? what's up?'

'there's another body. you have to talk to your dad.'

'what? where? who?'

'near the old factories. a girl called Hanna or something.'

'oh god...do we know them?'

'no, I don't think so. when's your dad due home?'

'10. so I've only got to wait half an hour...I'll talk to him when he's back. what else do you know?'

'she got shot.'

'who shot her?'

'I don't know. when I found her she was just lying on the floor, face down. I turned her over, and her face was destroyed stiles...'

'you found her? are you okay? why were you searching the factories?'

'I was following a scent.'

'Who's scent? Why did you follow it to an abandoned factory? Scott are you insane?'

'Stiles, it was pure evil. The scent of pure evil.'

'Oh god...call kira, I'll get Lydia. Did you call the police, when you found the body?'

'No! I mean, not yet.'

'Okay, good. Give me the address of the factory, we need to check the area for any clues.'

'okay stiles, but we can't stay for long. we have to call your dad eventually.'

'my dad doesn't even need to know we were the ones who found the body, we'll call anonymously. I'll see you soon, scott. don't get yourself killed.'

 

stiles clicked off the call and ran frantically around his room, searching for his clothes and shoes. he haphazardly balanced on one leg while trying to put his pants and shirt on at the same time, and he forgot to put underwear on. His hair was dripping down his back in cold trickles, and mixed with the fear of what was out there in beacon hills, stiles shivered.

He grabbed his cell phone off the table and text lydia, telling her he was coming to pick her up. giving his bedroom a quick once over check, he raced down the stairs and out of the house, slamming the door behind him without bothering to lock it.

when he pulled up at lydia's she was already waiting outside, twiddling with her hair and leaning on one hip. as soon as she saw stiles' jeep she paced over, opening the passenger side door with a jerk and jumping in.

 

"alright so what've we got now? more murders?"

"yup. I don't know the full details, scott will explain when we get there."

"and where exactly is 'there'?"

"some factory just off the road near the forest. kira's on her way, and scott's waiting there."

"alright, we'd better get a move on then."

 

stiles put his foot down on the accelerator and sped down the road in the direction of the factory, his mind spinning with questions.

 

Where do I know Lucas from?

What is Lyra's problem?

What is Lucas' problem?

Who the hell has been shot now?

Who the hell is shooting people?

Oh crap I didn't lock the door-

 

"stiles! turn, now! it never fails to amaze me how you can drive without crashing when you don't pay any attention whatsoever to the road."

"sorry lyds. I was just trying to work out what the hell's happening around here now."

"yes well we won't be any good to anyone if we're dead, so just keep your eyes and brain on the road please."

 

stiles laughed at his girlfriends snarky tone as they drove slowly down a beat up old road. he could see the top of a factory in the near distance, and then as they got closer he saw the headlights from Kira's car and scott's bike.

He pulled over to the side of the factory closest to the forest, and jumped out of the jeep, Lydia following him closely.

'Scott! Kira!'  
'Stiles, Lydia...come here.'

Stiles and Lydia walked across the parking lot, Lydia's bag swinging against her legs and hitting Stiles' knee.   
Stiles was nervous, but he didn't know why. He could feel a tightness in his chest, his breath coming shorter than usual. His hands were trembling so he clenched them into fists, and shoved them into his pockets.

What is wrong with me. Come on stiles...breathe. There isn't anything wrong.   
But there is! There is a dead girl within 50 feet of you!

'Shut up!'  
'Stiles?! What's wrong?'

Stiles stopped walking and stared at the floor, his breath coming even faster and his hands going numb. He stared at the girl in front of him, his memory failing him. Who was she? Two more people came up to him, a girl and a boy. The boy grabbed his shoulders and shook him. 

Who are these people? What are you doing to me? Why am I here? Leave me alone. Leave me alone. LEAVE ME ALONE!

Stiles raced through a gap in the imaginary crowd in front of him, and ran blindly, until his feet hit something soft on the ground. He looked down slowly, fear pulsating through his entire body. 

He could smell something terrible. A pungent stench that filled his nostrils and made his eyes water. The smell of death.

Stiles put a hand to his face and coughed, still staring at the floor. There was a short, firetruck red headed girl lay in a pool of blackening blood. Her face was contorted into a silent shriek, her hands haphazardly fallen beside her body. Stiles looked down at her chest, only to be met by a disgusting mess of holes and blood.

"Oh god."

"Stiles? Are you alright?"

Stiles turned around to see his friends behind him. Not strangers, not enemies. People he trusted. His heart warmed a little, and he removed his still shaking hands from his face.

"Scott...Lyds, Kira. Hi."

Lydia pushed past Scott softly and took Stiles' cold hand in her warm one, giving him a small smile before turning to face the dead body. 

Stiles was okay with this. He didn't want to talk about what happened. He didn't want to not be okay.

"It's awful isn't it, the poor girl."

Stiles watched as Scott put his arm around Kira, pulling her small shivering frame closer towards him.

"I know her."

Scott, Kira, and Lydia all turned to face Stiles, Kira and Scott with questioning looks on their faces, Lydia with a more hardened look.

"What do you mean you know who that is? She doesn't go to our school." Lydia now looked positively green with envy, but Stiles couldn't figure out why.

"I know, Lyds. She's called Hanna. She- Remember when I was going through that rough patch? Taking drugs..."

"How could we forget, Stiles?" Scott chipped in.

"This girl, Hanna...She gave me drugs, at a party. I remember her hair. It was before I was with you Lydia, I noticed her hair, because it wasn't yours."

"Stiles darling, that's adorable, but now is not the time for sweetness..."

Stiles looked at Lydia's pouty face in awe. He felt a short burst of anger bubbling inside of him.

How could she say something like that? Why was she being so blunt, and rude?

"Lydia there is literally a dead girl at our feet. A. Dead. Girl. Whom I happen to have met before. Why are you being so snarky?"

"Snarky?! Stiles I am not being snarky! I am trying to address the situation without having to deal with your constant mooning!"

Stiles felt his heart sink through his feet and descend through the earths crust. How could Lydia say something so horrid to him? But there was some truth to it.

You are moony, Stiles. It annoys her. She needs a stable and reliable man, not a hopeless romantic idiot. It doesn't matter how much you love her, if you annoy her she'll leave.

"Stiles? I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that..."

"It's fine."

Stiles turned away from Lydia, ignoring Kira's red face and Scott's awkward coughing fit. He walked over to Hanna's body and knelt down beside her, careful not to touch her anywhere in case he left evidence.

Hanna. The girl with the bright red hair, and dangerous personality. The girl who gave him drugs. The girl who had a friend in the bathroom with her.

Stiles tried to think back to that night, his mind going fuzzy and his eyes watering with the amount of concentration he was putting into remembering.

I was so fucked up that night. Drugs. No pain, none. Just numbness. Void of emotion. Empty. Hanna had a friend, an accomplice. A boy, dark hair, dark clothes, dark habits. L. 

Who is he? L. L for Lydia? L for lost? L for Lyra?

L for Lucas.

Stiles shot up from the ground, his hands jerking.

"Lucas!"

"What? Stiles? Hello?"

Stiles glanced around to see Scott, Kira, and Lydia all staring at him. Lydia's face was that of pure confusion, where as Scott looked like he wanted to laugh a little. Kira's eyes were wide and she looked like she was going to cry.

"Stiles? Earth to Stiles?"

"Lyra has a brother called Lucas. Lucas was with Hanna at that party, they were friends."

"Why does that matter? It's a small town, Stiles. People have friends."

Stiles chose to ignore his girlfriends snarky tone, and instead carried on talking, his mind now in overdrive.

"Lucas and Hanna were friends, but Lucas and Lyra hadn't started at the high school yet. So they've been here for at least 3 months, maybe more. Yet they only started taking classes at the school like 2 weeks ago."

"Um...So?"

Stiles gave Scott an exasperated look, and carried on his epic conclusion.

"Hanna doesnt- didn't go to our school. She didn't. So that means Lucas must have met her somewhere, which means Lyra has probably met her too - or even knows where they used to hang out, and who with. I saw Lyra talking to some creepy random guy the other day, really tall, all black clothes, and he literally disappeared. I saw him go into the forest and fucking dissipate. Ah! Don't talk, I'm not finished yet. Lucas, who is definitely Lyra's brother, who knows Hanna, was the boy who found the body on the lacrosse pitch. It all fits together! They are involved in something I promise you. Lyra tried talking to me the other day, like seriously talking. She said it wasn't about work, then Lucas started yelling at her to go over to him. He was fucking shouting down the halls! She completely closed up, and told him she was asking me about an english assignment...we didn't have an assignment! So why would she lie to him, unless she wanted to tell me something that he didn't want me to know? Huh? Why?"

"Jesus Stiles, your brain works faster than Einstein's, I swear. It is pretty weird, but we have to give them the benefit of the doubt. They seem a pretty weird family...And Lucas was probably just shouting at her to go to him because he's scared. The poor guy did find a dead body on the lacrosse pitch last week, ya'know?"

"Stiles will you stop scratching your fucking arm it's red raw."

Stiles stopped looking at Scott when Lydia said this, and instead gave his attention to his arms. They were literally bright red - he had even lifted some of the skin off them. 

How the fuck did I not notice that? My sleeves are up...Last time I checked they were down. They are always down. 

"I...Um...Oops? Sorry. I guess I got a little bit carried away."

"Stiles you don't need to apologise...We just worry about you okay? It's concerning to see you so completely engulfed in your own thoughts and words that you scratch your arms to the point of bleeding."

"It's just a nervous habit. Hard to break. Can't teach an old dog new tricks, ri-"

Stiles stopped talking when he heard the sound of a siren in the distance.

"Guys...That's either the police or an ambulance, or both. We have to go, right now. MOVE!"

Kira had already started running to her car when she shouted this, her dark hair flipping wildly as she raced across the gravely floor. Scott followed suit, and hopped into Kira's car with her. Apparently she had picked him up, or they'd just gotten in her car instead...

"Stiles! Come on!"

Stiles jumped out of his trance, and jogged over to the jeep where Lydia was already sat, jumping in and ramming the engine on. He quickly reversed and followed Kira's car down the gravel path and up the opposite road leading into the forest. He looked in his wing mirror and saw a police car drive down the road they had just been down, it's sirens still blazing and lights flashing brightly in the near-dark.

"Who the hell reported Hanna's body anyway? Because it wasn't any of us."

"Probably the person that killed her, Lyd's. And I think they knew we were coming."


	6. Drop.

AN - I am so so sorry I haven't updated for ages, I've been incredibly busy with work and cheerleading and my brain just hasn't been able to write, and I didn't want to post anything I wasn't completely satisfied with. I am planning on writing on Sunday to make up for lost time :)

 

"What do you mean they knew we were coming? Who?"

"Whoever killed Hanna, and the person at school, and the other guy. We need to find out who those other two people were, see if there's a connection. I can get the files from my dads office at work, but it's going to be risky. I just need-"

"Stiles! Stop. Please. You need to be more careful...You can't just expect yourself to bounce back after what you've been through."

 

"Lyds, I'm fine. I am okay. Nothing going on here, just trying to help."

"No, Stiles, you're not fine. You need time to recover after everything...Stop pretending to be Sherlock Holmes. You don't need to discover everything and solve every mystery."

"Lydia, I think you forget who I am. I don't have supernatural powers like you guys...All I can use is my brain. And if it's going to help stop innocent people being killed, I will use it however I fucking like. I might be expendable but I'm not going to sit around while you guys risk your lives and not do fucking anything about it. I'm not going to let any of you die."

"Stiles...You can't control death. When Allison died, it wasn't you who killed her. None of us has ever thought that, ever. We never will. You can't give yourself such high standards to live up to."

"Please can we just not talk about this. I don't want to talk anymore."

Stiles turned his head away from Lydia and he stared straight forwards, concentrating on not flipping the jeep on the dusty forest track. Even though his hands were shaking while he gripped the steering wheel, and his eyes were becoming clouded and misty, he didn't let on to Lydia what he was really feeling.

She couldn't know how broken he still was. He was clean of everything, yes, but he didn't feel clean.

Every morning when he woke up he had to pretend like he couldn't see Allison's blood on his hands. He had to pretend like he was okay, like he didn't crave the numbness that drugs gave him. He had to pretend to be Stiles, old Stiles. Old Stiles was a barrel of laughs, an insanely intuitive and clever boy. But new Stiles...New Stiles was confused. Angry. Sad. New Stiles had nothing on old Stiles, and he was convinced that pretty soon his friends would notice. Then he would lose them all.

Stiles pulled into Lydia's drive and left the engine of the jeep running, making it completely clear to his girlfriend that he wasn't in the mood for talking or making out in her front yard.

"Stiles, I'm sorry. I know we stifle you, but we worry. I worry...I just don't want to lose you."

This was enough to send Stiles over the edge. He'd been stewing in his own thoughts for the majority of the journey, and this was a major blow to his self confidence.

"Dammit Lydia! There is nothing to worry about! I'm fine, okay! Completely fine. Why don't you guys think I can look after myself? I'm not some helpless human that you have to save over and over again."

"Jesus, Stiles! I was just trying to make you feel better. If you don't want me to do that then maybe we should reconsider this whole thing we have, because that's what it seems like to me. I'm your girlfriend, I'm supposed to look after you!"

Lydia swiftly climbed out of the jeep and slammed the door, stomping up her driveway and flinging her front door open. She turned to face Stiles before she went in, her expression hardening as she looked at him. Without another word she entered her house and slammed the door behind her, leaving Stiles completely alone.

Stiles leaned his forehead against the steering wheel of the jeep and curled his hands into fists.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Why couldn't you just accept her apology and have it done with, eh Stiles? Why did you have to open your big stupid fucking mouth. You have absolutely destroyed whatever chances this relationship had. You have succeeded in alienating one of the most important people in your life, you big fucking moron. You don't deserve Lydia Martin. 

Stiles quickly backed the jeep out of Lydia's drive, not bothering to check whether the road behind him was clear. He ignored the small flutter of Lydia's bedroom curtains, an obvious sign that she was watching him through the window. He raced the jeep down the road, not paying attention to where he was going, completely stuck in his own thoughts. He felt like he was drowning. His throat was becoming tighter and tighter, small beads of sweat trickling down his forehead like raindrops. 

Drive. Drive. Where are you going? It doesn't matter. Nothing matters. You don't matter. 

Stiles tried his best to ignore his own thoughts, his veins bulging and head aching with the effort. But it just wouldn't work. He was on the verge of a panic attack, barely able to breathe or even see the road he was driving on.

He swerved the jeep down a lane leading into one of Beacon Hills' many forests, and misshapenly directed it down a bumpy dirt track. Not three minutes later he was out of the jeep and running through the forest, his body zig-zagging in and out of the trees until he tripped on a fallen branch. Stiles plummeted forwards, using his arms to brace his fall. He landed hard, hitting his head off a sharp rock as he fell. And there he lay, his mind finally silent, feeling the cold air creep into his lungs and warm blood soak into his scalp.

Worthless.

 

Stiles woke up to a horrific headache, stiff neck, and dirty clothes. Not to mention he was beyond freezing and completely soaked. He tried to prop himself up on his hands, but they didn't seem to be working. In fact, his whole body felt completely numb. He squinted his eyes in the bright daylight and looked around, not recognising his surroundings at all. Slowly and painfully he reached into his pocket, searching for his phone.

Bingo.

He turned on his phone to 17 notifications, 7 of them being missed calls from Lydia. 3 missed calls from Scott, 1 from Kira, and 1 from his dad. The rest were texts, all lined up one after the other.

Lydia : Where are u? Ur dad just called me.

Lydia : Stiles why aren't u answering the phone?

Scott : U okay bro? Lydia just called, said ur not answering. Did something happen between u 2? She seemed upset. 

Kira : Hey Stiles, Scott and Lydia are worried about u. So is ur dad...I told Scott ur probs just asleep. Hope u r ok.

Dad : Stiles, come home now. This is ridiculous. We are all worried about you.

Stiles sat up and rubbed his head, his mouth dropping open when he felt the dried blood in his hair and down his neck.

"Jesus...Alright. Come on, Stiles. Get up."

Stiles grabbed onto a nearby branch and dragged himself to his feet, ignoring the shooting pains in his chest and head as he stood. He wobbled about for a few seconds, before he began to wander around the forest in search of his jeep. After wandering for about 20 minutes with no luck, Stiles decided to call Scott. Not Lydia or his dad, because they would be pissed at him. Not Kira, because she would worry too much about the state he was in. No, he had to go for the easiest person to lie to, and the most relaxed person he knew - which meant calling Scott.

"Stiles? Are you okay? How come you weren't answering last night we were a-"

"Scott, I'm in a forest somewhere and I can't find the jeep. Or an exit. Or anything really."

"What? Why are you in a forest?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I attended a rave with some tree fairies?"

"No...Did you? No you didn't. Stiles are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry. I just kind of need some help finding my jeep...Think you could track it? Or me?"

"Sure...Just give me 5 minutes. Do you know the general area of where you are?"

Stiles squinted his eyes as he tried to remember exactly what happened the night before.

"I, uhm...Well I was on my way home from Lydia's, and went down the wrong road into a forest. Silly me should've made sure my lights were working, I couldn't see a damn thing let alone where I was driving. I'll have to get the jeep checked out tomorrow."

"Okaaaay...I'll go to Lydia's and try and see if I can track you from there. See you soon buddy."

Stiles cringed as he ended the call, knowing Scott was anything but convinced about his story. He was going to have a lot of explaining to do, he just needed some time to perfect a lie that he could tell everyone.

Stiles sat down on a nearby fallen log and pulled his knees to his chest, focusing on his heartbeat.

What can I tell them?

Tell them you're still fucked up. Still a mess. Tell them the truth.

I can't. I can't. I can't do that.

Just tell them anything then. They won't believe anything you say. They know you're still a mess.

Help me. What do I say? What do I do?

Think of something, Stiles. Use that useless brain of yours and THINK.

Stiles stayed put where he was, half hoping he'd get a call from Scott saying he couldn't find him. The breeze was cold on Stiles' skin, making goosebumps start up his arms and along the back of his neck. He felt a chill whip around him, colder than ice. Colder than the morgue. Colder than the dead.

Stiles looked around himself warily, not trusting his surroundings. There had been so many murders in Beacon Hills recently...So many. 

He was sure he felt breathing on the back of his neck. Cold air, there, gone, there gone. His neck hairs stood up, and he froze completely.

Do not move.

Do not make a sound.

Do not let it know you know it's there.

"Stiles?"

Stiles spun around so fast he caught his jeans on the log and fell off it, seeing Scott out of the corner of his eye as he plummeted onto the damp forest floor.

"Jesus, Stiles...Are you okay? Why are you here?"

"I...I ugh, lied to you earlier. I didn't want you to worry."

"I could tell you were lying you idiot, I might not have been able to hear your heartbeat but I can always tell when you lie."

"Don't I know it...Anyway, I'm cold. Can we go?"

"Not until you tell me why you slept in a forest and why the back of your head is covered in dried blood...Is it yours?"

"Um, yeah. It is."

"Come on. We're going to see my mom, you can tell me exactly what happened after she's checked you over."

Scott grabbed Stiles by the elbow and practically dragged him out the through the forest, twisting around the trees until Stiles spotted a familiar jeep in a clearing.

"How...Why?"

"What?"

"Why on earth is my jeep here...I know I couldn't see very well but I definitely didn't park it up perfectly in the centre of a clearing, in a forest, and then wander a good ten minutes away from it."

"It doesn't matter for now, we can work that out later. Come on, I'll drive. You sleep. Actually, don't sleep. You might have concussion."

Despite Scott's warning, Stiles did sleep, and his dream was very, very disturbing.

He was locked in a warehouse, and everything was white. White lights, white walls, white floor...White legs. White dress. White face. Brown hair. 

"Allison? Is that you?"

"Stiles you have to warn them."

"Warn who? The pack?"

"They are dangerous, the most dangerous we've ever dealt with. I'm trying my best to fight them over here, but they're so strong. Stronger than the Nogitsune."

"Who? Allison you need to give me a little more information here..."

"Black eyes. Don't trust the black eyes."


End file.
